Ancestor Portrait of Mandarin and First Wife

Aage Gitz-Johansen (Danish, 1897-1977) Watercolor and marker drawing depicting a young Greenlandic woman. Sheet measures: 27.5 cm x 36.5 cm. Signed with monogram

The picture is painted after a bust made by sculptor Jens Lund when Weie lent his studio in Amaliegade 23 up to his separate exhibition in the Art Associatio...

Preben Fjerderholt (Danish, 1955-2000) “Self-portrait in half figure”. Oil on canvas, 120×78 cm. Unsigned, unframed, c. 1980. Literature: Lisbeth Bonde "Følelsen er alt. Preben Fjed...

Still life with fruit and a golden pheasant (also known as the Chinese pheasant). Presumably from Italy. Signed G. Petit 1866.   

A decorative pair of Italian 19th Century gouache paintings of sailors on the Bay of Naples before Vesuvius erupting by day, and another by night, da...

A vivid pair of Japanese watercolor paintings of carps. Individually framed. Artwork dimensions (cm): 20, 5 x 27, 5. Handpainted on rice...

Chinese ancestor portrait of a Mandarin Dignitary. Antique tempera on paper painting of a Mandarin Dignitary wearing a red court dress and s...

Vintage Chinese chinoiserie ancestral portraits by artist Won Tai of Peking, China. Shows a pair of male and female figures seated on throne chairs draped in turquoise silks, dressed...

An impressively sized 19th century Chinese Qing dynasty ancestral portrait painting of a senior official of the first rank in bamboo frame with silk ...

Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits for long life, health, and prosperity. Commemorative portraits, which came into vogue in the late Ming and Qing dynasties, were commissioned specifically for ancestor worship and were believed to house the spirits of the deceased. When properly cared for, one's ancestors were believed to be a powerful source of honor, protection, and good luck. This pair of ancestor portraits was hand-painted in the late-19th century and beautifully depicts a Qing-dynasty couple. While some ancestral portraits offer a more stylized representation of one's ancestors, this particular pair is painted with incredible realism and life-like expressions. Rather than depict the pair in a regal hall wearing elaborate finery, the couple is shown in a quiet home environment, seated at either end of a square tea table. Their surroundings are minimal, practically undecorated, and they wear simple, matching blue silk robes. Two young children stand beside them, each trying to capture the attention of their grandparent. We love the painting's close attention to detail and the glimpse it offers of Qing-dynasty interiors - from the carved apron of the marble-top table to the red silk lotus slippers...

A Chinese 'Ancestor Portrait' oil on canvas laid down on board, depicting a seated dignitary. The Chinese characters identify the artist at Giuseppe Castiglione...

Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits f...